Drag line bucket



A. E. GIBSON DRAG LINE} BUCKET Nov; 6, 1934.

Filed June 28, 1952 Patented Nov. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 28, 1932, Serial No. 619,745

10 Claims.

This'invention relates to excavating buckets of the drag line type.

In buckets of the drag line type the drag or hauling lines are connected to the sides of the bucket at the forward end thereof, while the dumping and hoisting lines are connected to the sides of the bucket intermediate the ends thereof and somewhat toward the rear end of the bucket. The drag lines and the hoisting and dumping lines impart, duringthe use of the bucket, severe strains to the side walls thereof, with the result that said side walls are'either pulled inwardly or outwardly and the bucket becomes distorted in shape. In order to overcome this condition, it

: has been necessary heretofore to increase the weight and size of the structural parts of drag bucket; This practice has 7 The principal object of the present inventionis to provide a drag line bucket which has maximum strength in comparison to its weight or, in other wordsfa drag line bucket having a high load capacity ratio with respect to its weight and the size of its structural parts.

. Another object of the invention is to provide in a drag line bucket maximum resistance against the bucket being distorted in use and particularly against the forward or digging end of the bucket being battered or distorted, without materially increasing the weight of the structural parts thereof.

A further object is to provide in a drag line bucket construction stifiening or reenforcing means for the side walls of the bucket, which means extend from the extreme front end of the bucket rearwardly beyond the point at which the hoisting and dumping lines are connected to the bucket.

Another object is to provide in a drag line bucket construction stiffening or reenforcing means for the side walls of the bucket, which means are interlocked with the attaching means for the hoisting and dumping lines.

Another object is to provide in a, drag line bucket construction stiifening or reenforcing means for the side walls of the bucket, which 50 means are interlocked with the securing or attaching means for both the drag lines and the hoisting and dumping lines.

A more specific object is to provide in adrag line bucketconstruction stiilening or reenforcing means for the side walls of the bucket, which enforced by a broad arched plate 1'7 that extends means extendin a substantially horizontal plane anchored rearwardly of the dumping pivot of the bucket.

Additional and further objects and advantages of the invention will become. apparent hereinafter in connection with the detailed description of an embodiment of theiinvention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, where- .Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drag line Fig. 2 is aside elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary irregular sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary irregular sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The drag line bucket illustrated in the draw- 30 ing comprises a bottom 10, sides 11, and curved back 12, and may be formed from eithera single .the back 12 of the bucket are reenforced by a strap 13 secured thereto and to the sides 11, while the upper edges of the sides 11 are reenforced by forwardly extending members 14 secured thereto bywelding or by other suitable securing means.

The bottom and sides of the bucket at the rear corners thereof are reenforced by heavy corner castings 15 secured thereto exteriorly of the bucket, while flat bars 16 extend substantially the full length of the bottom on the under side of the bucket and partly up the back l2and act as runners for the bucket as well as additionally reenforcing the same.

The sides 11 project beyond the cutting or digging lip or edge of the bucket, which sides, together with said lip or edge, are braced or rethe forward edge of the plate being beveled and no cooperating with the bevel teeth 18 in the digging operation.

In order to resist the pulling in strains to which the sides of the bucket are subjected in use, a heavy steel bridge or arch 19 extends upwardly between the sides 11 forwardly of the cutting or digging lip or edge, it being noted that said bridge or arch 19 on each side extends to the bottom edge of the forwardly extending portions of the sides 11 and that it is securely riveted or otherwise secured to said sides. The bridge or arch 19 may be of any preferred construction such as a casting provided with laterally extending flanges forming in part the means by which the bridge is secured to the sides and also forming an attaching bracket 19a for the head cable 20 or the bridge may be built up of separate structural members secured together.

The sides of the bucket at the front end and beyond the cutting or digging edge or lip are provided with hitch plates 21 havingupwardly extending portions at the front edges of the sides riveted or otherwise secured to the sides 11 and the bridge 19 and rearwardly extending portions also riveted or otherwise secured to the sides 11 and bridge 19. The forward edges of the hitch plates 21, are provided with reenforoing ribs 21a and with vertically spaced bosses 21b for the hitch pins 22 by which the drag or hauling chains or lines 23 are connected to the bucket. Since the bosses 21b are spaced vertically ofthe hitch plates the connecting points for the chains or lines 23 may be varied to obtain different digging angles for the bucket. The rearwardly extending portions of the hitch plates 21 are provided with blisters 21c protruding outwardly of the hitch plates and protecting the same and forming with the sides 11 pockets into which extend members later to be referred to.

The front end of the bucket is further reenforced by strips 24 riveted or otherwise secured to the plates 21, sides 11 and arch plate 17 and extending along the lower edge of the sides from a point forwardly of the digging or cutting lip or edge to a point rearwardly thereof.

The sides 11 intermediate their ends and rearwardly of the transverse center line of the bucket are provided with bosses 25 and have-secured thereto brackets 26 which extend outwardly and upwardly of the sides 11 and are provided at their upper ends with openings aligning with bearing recesses formed in the bosses 25, which openings and recesses form the supporting bearings for the pins 27 of the dumping bail trunnions 28. The hoisting or dumpingchains 29 are connected to the trunnions 28 at their lower ends and to the block 30 at their upper ends, a rigid spreader bar 31 being arranged between the chains 29 to prevent fouling of the chains.

In order to provide the requisite strength in the bucket and to enable the bucketto have a-high load capacity ratio with respect to its weight,

stiffening or reenforcing members 32 extend along the sides 11 from the extreme front edge thereof rearwardly of the brackets 26 and preferably to a point closely adjacent the back or rear end of the bucket. The members 32 are substantially channel-shaped (see Fig. 1) with the sides of the channel outwardly divergent and with the channels facing inwardly toward the sides 11." The forward ends of the members 32 extend between the sides 11 and the hitch plates 21 and are located in the spaces or pockets provided by the blisters 210 of the hitch plates, it being noted that the blisters are of such size and shape as to interfit with the members 32. The members 32 also extend between the sides 11 and the brackets 26, it being noted that the contour of the brackets 26 is such as to interfit with the members 32. The members 32 face inwardly, that is, their open sides are against the sides 11, with the result that when the members are secured to the sides 11 they form therewith a reenforcement extending the entire length of the sides. The members 32 are welded to the sides 11 along their entire contacting surfaces, as indicated at 33 in Fig. 4, said members being also welded to the bosses 25, as indicated at 33a, and to the brackets 26, as indicated at 331).

It will be noted that the members 32 interlock with the hitch plates 21 and with the bosses 25 and brackets 26 and therefore will receive and assume or absorb the strains subjected to the bucket by the drag or hauling chains 23, or by the hoisting or dumping chains 29.

It will further be noted that, since the menbers 32 extend from a point rearwardly of the brackets 26 to the hitch plates 21 at the front end of the bucket and beyond the digging or cutting lip or edge thereof, said members form cantilevers arranged in substantially a horizontal plane and anchored at their rearward ends to points on the sides 11 which will not yield or bulge imder stresses and are fulcrumed on the cutting or digging lip or edge.

A drag line bucket embodying the present invention will, therefore, have a high load capacity ratio with respect to its weight and to the size and weight of its structural parts.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that the invention is susceptible of various modifications and adaptations within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a bucket of the drag line type, connecting brackets on the sides of the bucket for the hoisting or dumping lines, stiffening or reinforcing members on the sides of the bucket and extending from forwardly of the cutting or digging edge of the bucket to rearwardly of said connecting brackets, said brackets having portions formed to interfit with and overlie said members.

2. In a bucket of the drag line type, attaching plates for the drag lines secured to the front of 1 the bucket, connecting brackets for the hoisting or dumping lines arranged on the sides of the bucket intermediate its ends, stiffening or reinforcing members on the sides of the bucket and extending from said attaching plates to rearwardly of said connecting brackets, said members being embraced ,by and interlocked with said plates and saidbrackets.

3. In a drag line bucket having sides provided at their forward ends with attaching plates for 1 extending along the sides of the bucket substantially from end to end thereof, and attaching brackets for the hoisting or dumping lines secured to the sides of the bucket and having portions formed to interfit with and overlie said members. v

5. In a drag line bucket, reinforcing members extending along the sides of the bucket substantially from end to end thereof, attaching plates for the drag lines secured to the sides of the bucket at the forward ends thereof, and attaching brackets for the hoisting or dumping lines secured to the sides intermediate their ends, said plates and said brackets having portions formed to interfit with and overlie said members.

6. In a drag line bucket, inwardly facing channelled reinforcing members secured to the sides of the bucket and extending substantially from end to end thereof, attaching plates for the drag lines secured to the sides at the forward ends thereof, and attaching brackets for the hoisting or dumping lines secured to the sides intermediate their ends, said plates and said brackets having portions overlying and interfitting with said members.

'7. In a drag line bucket having sides provided at their forward ends with attaching plates for the drag lines and intermediate their ends with attaching brackets for the hoisting and dumping lines, inwardly facing channelled reinforcing members extending from said attaching plates along the sides of the bucket to a point rear- Wardly of said brackets, said plates and said brackets being provided with portions embracing said channelled reinforcing members.

8. In a drag line bucket, inwardly facing channelled reinforcing members extending along the sides of the bucket from rearwardly of the dumping pivot thereof to substantially the front end of the bucket, and attaching plates for the drag lines secured to the sides of the bucket at the forward ends thereof and having portions formed to receive and embrace said channelled reinforcing members.

9. In a drag line bucket, inwardly facing channelled reinforcing members extending along the sides of the bucket for the major portion of their length, and attaching brackets for the hoisting or dumping lines secured to the sides of the bucket and having portions formed to receive and embrace said channelled-shaped reinforcing members.

10. In a drag line bucket, attaching plates for the drag lines secured to the sides of the bucket at the forward ends thereof, attaching brackets for the hoisting or dumping lines secured to the sides of the bucket intermediate the forward and rearward ends thereof, and stiffening or reenforcing members secured to the sides of the bucket and extending from substantially the forward ends to substantially the rearward ends thereof, said plates and said brackets overlapping said members.

ALFRED E. GIBSON.

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